


Out on the Open Sea

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Humanstuck, Merstuck, Multi, POV Changes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-01 19:17:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2784629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ireland is one of the many birthplaces of stories and myth, origin of fairies and leprechauns. Due to the urgency of Simon Captor's employer, Connie Peixes, he moves to Ireland with his family in tow. His son, Sollux Captor discovers more than he had ever bargained for at their new home. [DISCONTINUED]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving and Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> god, i hope the summary doesn't sound too cheesy or something i didn't really think that part through. anyways, this is the first chapter! it's going to be a little shorter than most or maybe its going to be an average length, idk  
> this is mostly just a treat for me, because i love mermaids and i can never find a good fic for merstuck so here we go!  
> can't say mine will be the best but, hey! there's worse out there.  
> please, if you want, give me some tips nicely lol

“Tuna, I swear to god I will strangle you if you sing that song again,” Sollux had wrenched in his seat to glare at his brother. Mituna had been taking a breath to shriek ‘One Hundred Bottles of Pop on The Wall’ for the second time when his brother had given him his death threat. There was a stiff moment of silence before Mituna giggled.

“TAKE ONE DOWN; PATH IT AROUND, NINTEY NINE THOUTHAND BOTTLETH OF POP ON THE WALL!”

\---

The Captor family was moving. Their father, Simon Captor, had been transferred to a job out in the country of Ireland. Although there was much effort to keep them from moving, Ms. Connie Peixes had been deathly stubborn and refused any leave off transfer. They were still unsure why she had the sudden urgency of him staying there. Luckily, Simon had kept a positive air. He made sure to break the news slowly to his sons. The reaction could’ve have been worse with his eldest. Mituna had cried when he was finally told that they were leaving their quaint home on the city limits, including his long going girlfriend, Latula Pyrope. There had been many hugs and video games played during their last days together. Tula, as Mituna called her, had helped him install Skype and numerous games onto his computer so that they could play together all the time. In fact, Tula had passed a farewell card around their social circle. Mituna broke out in a fit of giggles as he read bright red pen scribbled onto everyone’s comments before ceasing into a lengthy goodbye. Sollux, however, took the news terribly. He had been thrown into a fit of accusations and a rather impressive ‘Woe is Me’ speech. He spent his last days crying in his bedroom and doing nothing productive.

As it had turned out, Sollux had been thinking of asking his very close friend Aradia out the day they left. Of course, he would’ve accomplished this if he hadn’t been passed out on his bed due to lack of food and proper rest. Both thankfully and regretfully, he was nursed back to health on the day they went to the airport. Mituna had taken pictures of Simon wrestling his son into the car and even recorded a naughty segment of bad words he planned using on later in life.

After a disgustingly long plane ride that consisted of Mituna drooling on Sollux’s lap, fighting the baggage claim, and finding their van in the masses of cars, the entire family was exhausted. Simon had made sure Mituna was tucked very safely in the far back after his expedition of singing an annoyingly repetitive song and that Sollux was getting a good amount of sleep. The drive took many hours as they slowly made their way out of Dublin and onto the chilly coast where tourist traps hid and magnificent cliffs awaited. Simon spent these moments of silence contemplating his boss’s behavior, wondering why this was all happening.

\---

“Thollux ith thtill athleep, Dad! Can I wake him up?”

This was all Sollux heard as his body started to wake from a long rest. Dread pitted into his stomach when two sweaty hands grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

“Nooooo,” He groaned as a soft weep. He had been dreaming of Aradia, that they were still holding hands and sharing ice cream. It had been a wonderful fantasy he dreamt, something that brought him so much woe to been rudely awaken from.

“Wake up, Thollux! Dad wanth uth to pick our roomth!”

When Sollux didn’t move, Mituna continued on.

“If you don’t move I get to have your thnackth for the retht of the week, by the way. Dad thayth tho.” His brother hissed. Sollux’s eyes snapped open, rage overtaking his monochromatic irises. There was a squeal from Mituna as he was thrown off him as Sollux charged into the house. His brother ran behind him, “Thlow down, you can’t have a headth up!”

Both brothers broke into the house, their footsteps thudding up flights of stairs. The house itself was extremely well established, not surprising seeing Connie was a wealthy employer. She had taken care of finance, easily transferred the twins into new schools, and made sure their things were at the house. She had also given Simon a card for partially decent movers for when they needed to move in their dressers and heavy boxes. There were few generous promises made as she reassured that she would be paying for their wares the entire month.

Sollux slid on the top step of the stairs to catch his breath. He was not used to sprinting, due to spending a very large amount of his time sitting down and living off of chips. He tried convincing himself that he was actually just being nice and letting Mituna catch up. That was his mistake as Mituna grew with impressive speed and catapulted into the first room they saw. Sollux yelled in dismay as the door was slammed in his face, followed by a cackle as his brother thumped around in his new lair with triumph.

Sollux groaned, “Tuna come on!” He shook the doorknob. “Let’s trade! Big room for a slightly smaller room?”

“Nope, I like thith room!”

Sollux pounded on his door before the other boy opened the door in excitement. “But, I will thow it off,” He snorted, “Come on and thee, ith tho cool!” Sollux started to walk in when Mituna suddenly gasped, throwing his arms in front of him. “Wait a thec, you gotta make me a promithe.”

“What?”

“You can’t try and thteal it, I got it firtht you know.”

“I promise I won’t steal your stupid room, Tuna.”

“Girlthcout promithe?”

“I’m not a girlscou-“

“GIRLTHCOUT PROMITHE!” His brother demanded, thrusting up three fingers and glaring at his brother expectantly.

Sollux sighed, holding up three of his fingers. “I promise.”

Mituna looked him over with narrow eyes before slowly nodding, “Fine.” It was then Sollux was passive aggressively thrust into the latest episode of MTV Cribs when Mituna harshly grabbed his arm and pulled him in. Half the walls had been sprayed over with chalkboard paint, providing Tuna with a massive canvas for vulgar drawings and terrible jokes. Sollux nodded respectfully at the idea, knowing it would keep his brother amused for a grand total of at least fifteen minutes a day.

“Thollux, lookit hath a thwing!” Mituna shrieked, snapping Sollux out of his thoughts. This caused him to blink and look up at the ceiling. The swing had to of been attached to a support beam to be holding up Mituna’s weight as he swung back and forth with glee. Upon looking around more, he decided that this room wasn’t for him. Sollux knew that the room had just enough space for his brother and would be easily filled up with more activities for him. He did a sweep for plugs that Mituna could use to charge his appliances before getting up to leave.

Sollux sighed, trudging out and leaving his brothers laughter behind. The hallway was pure white, reassuring him he was going to hate this place in the morning. The light that was currently being filtered through was dulled by clouds, creating a gloomy sort of air. He hoped it would always be cloudy; it would match his mood so perfectly all the time. He glanced at the other rooms. His father had most likely taken a room downstairs, proving useful seeing he was the one who only answered the door. Sollux eventually voted to try the one at the end of the hallway. It seemed isolated from other rooms and not too far from the bathroom. It would be painful walking out on a sunny day, seeing his door would be next to the hallway window but it was worth it. Sollux shuffled to the door, pausing to admire the fake flowers on the window’s sill. He took a deep breath, praying the room that awaited him wouldn’t be shitty, and turned the handle.

The first thing he noticed was the window. His jaw dropped in shock at the massive pane of glass that looked like it was dragged from A Series of Unfortunate Events. He’d never read it but, he thought the movie was pretty cool. He remembered Aradia saying that the books were rather enjoyable and he should pick them up sometime. He felt guilt press in his gut as he realized he hadn’t texted her at all during the duration of his trip.

As Sollux walked into the room patting his jean pockets, he looked up and observed it further. The walls were painted a faint purple, creating a slightly welcoming change from the peeling white in the hall. The bed had been tucked away in the corner, looking lonely without it’s mattress on metal springs. He looked up at the slightly vaulted ceiling in awe, spying another storage space. A ladder was perched securely on the wall leading up to it. Looked like the perfect hiding spot when he really needed it.

Sollux slid his phone out of his pocket, typing quick message after message.

‘2orry ii diidn’t text you, AA.’

Delete.

‘thii2 triip i2 terriible, 2ave me plea2e.’

Delete.

‘ii mii22 you 2o much.’

DELETE.

Sollux groaned in frustration, shoving the phone back in his pocket. He ran a hand over his face, suddenly realizing he was millions of miles away from Aradia and that the world was a very big place. His eyes watered as he became aware of the stress on his shoulders. Sollux slouched against the wall, staring out the huge window at the ocean. He felt like he could cry as many tears as there were drops in the vast expanse and maybe more, which was a rather stupid thought. Sollux sighed and settled for watching the sky darken and wallow in his misery.

The water shimmered a navy color and was speckled with small coves of icy blue. It would become even more unwelcome when the weather chilled further. Their house had been built yards away from the edge of a cliff, offering a brilliant view and a few safety hazards. Sollux yawned, watching the way the water moved from the movement of a fish-

Now just wait a second.

He stood up, eyes widening as he saw the disturbance in the water again. If that was a fish, it was huge and, wait what?

Were there purple fish? Sollux whipped out his phone to look up purple fish when the water exploded again. His phone slipped out of his hands, clattering onto the ground as he stared in shock. Sollux spluttered, staring at the figure swirling in the water. From far away, it was hard to find certain details but it was obvious as the being ducked, a vibrant purple tail followed in their wake. Sollux shook his head and blinking. Each time his eyes opened again, he saw the supposed ‘merman’ either leaping up or his tail vanishing beneath the water. He looked… Happy. The confused boy swallowed before shakily raising a hand next to his mouth, not even being able to control his lisp.

“Dad, there’th thomeone in the water!”

As his father walked up the stairs, Sollux scooped up his phone to text Aradia. There was no hesitation in his actions as excitement coursed through him and sent his fingers flying over the screen.

‘AA, you won’t beliieve what ii just 2aw.’

\---

As unsurprising as it was, no one believed Sollux. Not even Aradia, who was so fascinated with spirits and the afterlife. Her only consoling was a short string of messages that would usually humor him, sent him only into a more frustrated mood.

‘i think it is just the stress of m0ving that is giving y0u illusi0ns’

‘maybe y0u sh0uld rest and we will talk ab0ut it t0m0rr0w’

‘0u0’

‘0h dear abs0lutley n0t that face’

Sollux cursed the merman for fleeing at the worst period of time, making him seem maniacal when he told his family. Mituna had relentlessly teased him at dinner, cackling that the airplane ride actually dried up his brain. There was a period of silence before Mituna started to panic that he too had lost his brain. Sollux had rolled his eyes at his brother before he finally had enough of family and excused himself.

That night he had unloaded his boxes, fighting the alluring urge to go onto his computer and play Minecraft till the wee hours of the morning. Sollux knew he would need to get curtains for his window, snickering at the idea of him dramatically throwing them open and breaking into song like a musical. Till then, he had to keep a…

Wait for it…

_Stable sleeping schedule._

Though all in all, it wasn’t so bad. Sollux figured he would be able to live comfortably, even if he was without his close friend. The thought of attending a new school made him want to barf but, he decided to give the fools roaming the halls a chance. Besides, he could gossip with Aradia about how insane his peers would be. Eventually he’d forget about the merman and keep going on with life.

HA HA, YEAH RIGHT.


	2. Meetings and School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm trying i swear  
> ((i'll be editing this in the morning woohoo goodnight))

“I’m too cool for thchool! Ever heard that fucking phrathe?” Sollux snapped at his father. He had been woken up by Simon opening the giant curtains on his window, white light spilling into Sollux’s clothes strewn room. It was incredible that he had managed to trash his living space so quickly, possibly a new record for him.

Simon very calmly pulled the curtains all the way open, sparing no dark corner from the morning sun. He then set to picking up a few repulsive tee shirts, planning to wash or burn them if the stains couldn’t be removed. This only irritated Sollux further as he weakly tossed a pillow at his father. With one smooth movement of casually crouching down for another shirt, the pillow projectile was avoided. He wailed, retreating under the covers further to escape his menace and film his music video, ‘Dig a Tunnel’.

Simon reached down with his free hand and threw the covers off his son; un-phased by the shriekings of, “It’s the light! Not the light!”

“I will be making breakfast again but, I’m afraid I won’t be able to walk you and Mituna to school.” He carried the blanket along with him in his pile of clothes, “Come downstairs soon, bacon is involved.”

Sollux was still until his dad left before experimentally moving one leg. Okay, not so bad. He stuck out his other one now stretching. His arms raised above his head as he arched his back before flopping back onto his bed in satisfaction. Sollux was thankful for a half day, even though he was amazed that they even existed outside of America, and even more thankful that school didn’t start at the crack of dawn. He took an uneasy step off the bed, testing his balance before slumping to the bathroom in hopes that Mituna hadn’t already claimed it.

Well, at least one thing went right this morning.

\---

Sollux exited the shower with flourish when his older brother began banging on the door, the faint yells of ‘Thollux’ drifting into his conscience. He couldn’t have been in there for more than seven to ten minutes when his brother started calling.

“God, Tuna! Chill your tith, I’m working on it,” Sollux replied, wrapping a towel around his waist. He rubbed the moist water off the mirror, staring at himself. Sollux’s fingers traced his face, observing the steep angles of his cheekbones and how thin his lips were. He wouldn’t mind his appearance so much if it wasn’t for his eyes. They looked abnormal, blue and brown swirling in clumps around his eyes. There was some weird genetics thing that had given him them. Tuna had blue specks in his right eye but they hadn’t been as dramatic as his. In fact, his other eye was a perfect brown, making him unaware of how lucky he was. Sollux dug for his glasses in the cabinets. They were irritatingly colored; one lenses a blue and the other red but, they certainly did their job in hiding his eyes. He slid them on, causing his world to be doused in purple.

He remembered the merman.

Sollux gave a cry of anger, ripping the glasses off his face and startling his brother outside the door. “Thollux?” He heard Mituna whisper, “If you’re dead, do I get to have your video gameth? Altho that cool Thtar Warth thirt you got at Comic Con.”

“I’m not dead, Tuna.”

There was a wail, “He’th a ghotht now, Dad! The houthe ith haunted, we have to leave!”

Sollux was perched over the sink, glaring down at the glasses. He had to wear them, but the thought of his illusions made him so pissed. Sollux picked them up gently, “I’m fine. You don’t get my Star Wars shirt; I spent a lot of money on that shit.”

Tuna groaned outside the door, “Jutht let me in! I really need to pee.” There was a soft thump, possibly Mituna knocking his head against the door. Sollux sighed, turning the handle to let in his brother and was nearly knocked over when the eldest came swooping in.

“Thweet gloriouth relief!” He yelled mockingly as Sollux made his way back to his room. He rolled his eyes at his brother, wondering when he was ever decent about anything. The walk down the hall was blindingly bright. With every step he took, the house creaked in reply or wind crackled against the window pane. It was creepy in a way.

Sollux made it to his room, not even bothering to close the blinds. His only audience was the ocean and his fictional merman. He laughed, mooning the angry blue water before going to pull on his clothes. As it turned out, his Star Wars shirt was one of the only clean ones left. He admired the fading print of Princess Leia before tugging it on. Along with old jeans, a windbreaker and shoes that matched his glasses, Sollux felt proper enough to leave. Not that he wanted to leave the house. This place had decent enough signal, giving him a ten second or less lag when replying to Aradia. He felt bad for Tuna, knowing Skype could get annoying with excessive lag. The house also provided sanctuary from the rest of society, a welcoming escape for someone as introverted as him. Sollux mumbled, grabbing his backpack with a galactica print on it. Yes he was the nerd, the geek was him

He dropped the phone into his bag, exiting his room and adventuring into the wild unknown of downstairs.

Sollux could smell the delicious bacon from the top of the stairs, floating to follow the scent of heaven. His father was perched over a skillet, causing the luxurious smells. Beside Simon were a plate of mismatched pancakes and a box of Bisquick.

“Good morning,” Sollux rumbled, trying to snag a pancake. His hand was slapped away with a spatula. He yelped, his father giving him a warning look.

“Good morning to you as well. Set the table for us, it’ll be much appreciated.” He hummed, scraping eggs off the pan and into another bowl.

Sollux grumbled softly, taking silverware and plates from cupboards. He didn’t really see the point in making this meal like a family gathering, just wanting to eat and getting over with. But, with one look at that food as his mouth filled with drool, he decided that he would comply just this once.

Mituna thudded down the stairs when he was halfway through with dropping forks into their designated places. He stared at the stacks of food in awe, Sollux could just see the excitement bubbling up behind those monochromatic eyes. “Dad, how many thervingth do we get?” He looked at his father, hands clutching the edge of his chair in anticipation. Mituna had eyes bigger than his stomach and usually only made it to second helpings. No one was severely threatened by this question as Simon calmly replied with a ‘as much as you need’.

Mituna whooped, plopping into his chair and waiting excitedly. His mood brought a soft smile to Sollux’s face. His brother was a pain in the ass and the biggest joy he had. He took his seat next to Tuna, pouring them both orange juices. This was going to be a great meal.

\---

The wind attacked his hair first, black clumps tossed into the air in a wild flurry. Sollux held Mituna’s hand tightly; afraid the wind could pick one of them up and sweep them into the grey sky. He looked over at his brother, his hair swept off his face from the wind. It looked like his hat was about to blow away along with his wildly flapping scarf, clawing the air behind him.

Sollux stopped, reaching up to fix his brothers beanie and pulling it down to his brow. Mituna looked at him gratefully, too cold to say anything. Even if he tried to, his words would’ve been swallowed by the wind. Sollux grabbed his hand back, keeping both of them anchored onto the ground.

The town awaited them expectantly, a leisurely bike ride away from their house. They wouldn’t have ridden a bike anyway, too afraid of the gusts trying to see who could bring their wheel the highest. Sollux made sure Mituna had a tight grip before continuing on. The two brothers trudged forward, finding this whole task too much trouble to go to school.

Now that they were outside, Sollux could hear the ocean’s roar and taste the salt firmly on his tongue. He gave the roiling waters a wary glance, praying for the seagull drifting on them. Sollux wondered how anything could navigate something that powerful, let alone menacing. He knew for sure that he would chicken out even in a kiddie pool, he might just have a heart attack if he stepped foot in the sea. They passed a shepherd, whom tipped her chin at them in acknowledgement. Her cheeks were flushed from the pressing winds and small woolen beasts clustered about her cowering under her flapping skirt. Sollux momentarily regarded her as a warrior, standing firm in the face of danger.

They passed the rolling hills and entered the town. People cluttered around on cobbled stones, going about their daily life in ignorance of the furious winds. Some obvious tourists huddled in coffee shops or on corners, cut off from the chill.

Sollux felt relief flood over him when he saw other kids hustling to his school. They were on the right track, at least. He recalled being taken aback by the schools name, ‘Sburb’ but he had dismissed it as an ‘Irish thing’ along with the symbol being a spirograph. The school itself was rather large for housing less than four hundred or so students. It was placed in a large courtyard with multiple students scattered around it. No one had seemed to have been bothered by the wind or his presence.

Sollux found himself gaping at one boy. He was incredibly small with dark skin, he deemed at least close to Brazilian, and bushy brown hair. From far away, he could hear his faint snapping at his lanky partner but, that wasn’t what surprised him the most. The boy was dressed in leggings with girly shorts clinging to his rear. Sollux couldn’t think of something other than, ‘Wow, that really suits him’.

Okay, so what that he wore 3D glasses. Something told him that his fashion wasn’t going to shock his peers so much. Sollux looked back at the Brazilian boy who was now fussing from underneath a huge hug. The tall man had swooped down and picked him up, a lazy smile stretching across his dark skinned face. Something told Sollux from the way the man’s eyes lidded in a calm harmony that he was probably incredibly high. The boy clawed at his boyfriend’s, at least that what Sollux thought they were from behavior, dreadlocks before calming down and hugging his neck. Sollux looked away when the boy had taken his partner into a monkey hug.

“You okay, Tuna?” He whispered to his brother. He recalled Mituna having a hard time with other students due to his disability and even if he had been placed in a special unit, he would still be interacting with others.

“Yeth,” Mituna nodded, staring at his shoes. It was obvious he was nervous so Sollux had given him a reassuring squeeze.

“You want me to walk you to class?”

Another nod and both brothers walked into the building, their hands grasped tightly together.

\---

It wasn’t hard finding Mituna’s class. In fact, they had signs leading him to the classroom with bright, cheery sayings on them that made Sollux sick to his stomach. His older brother didn’t seem that irked by it all, throwing a ten minute tantrum about Sollux leaving him and setting a new record for short tantrums. Sollux felt uncomfortable walking out of the room, nervous of letting Tuna out of his sight for the day, no matter if it was a half day or not. Sollux was going to his fourth introductory class when he ran into a water fountain.

Wait, no. That wasn’t a water fountain.

Sollux looked down at the Brazilian boy, him glaring up at him with terrifying amounts of rage. “Hey fuckass, ever thought about sharing the hallway for us meeker and closer to the ground unlike you tall assholes with their heads in the clouds?” He snarled, craning his neck to look Sollux in the eye.

Sollux was taken aback by his language, wondering how this petite boy could retain so much hatred. There was a certain level of respect for the shorter one as Sollux helplessly shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, I don’t keep an eye open for trolls like you. So what’s the price of crossing this benevolent hallway?”

“The price of your fucking head on a platter, slow roasted on the flames of hell you’re burning in tonight.”

Sollux couldn’t help but laugh at this, fascinated that the boy took such a graphic turn.

“What the fuck are you laughing at? This is serious business; I am a squire of Satan himself!” He snapped, stabbing a finger on Sollux’s chest. “You should be kneeling at my feet and washing them with your greasy ass hair and tears.”

Sollux put a hand to his hair, “Hey come on you’re not playing fair. It’s gel.”

“Oh, I’m sorry princess. I wasn’t aware that there were ground set rules to help me not hurt your delicate feelings! You strayed into this territory, making fun of my height is for me to do and only me myself, asshole.” It was then a large brown hand was placed on the boys shoulders, a lazy smile across the owners face.

“Hey, Karbro. Heard you were makin’ miracles with this wondrous motherfucker over here. Fuckin’ heaven awaits us with those pearly gates of dope and sparkles and shit.” The African man had begun to pick up a shrieking Karkat, cradling him like a child. He stroked his hair before grinning and continuing on.

“Karbo don’t like dealin’ with peoples motherfuckin’ shit, you know? He’s too fuckin’ tired with all the heavy burdens of life that induce the wonderful miracles such as meeting you. So, my fellow motherfucker, what is your oh so righteous name?”

Sollux was gaping at the purring- yes, purring- Karbro in the other man’s arms. He cracked an eye at Sollux, “Yeah, fucktard. Tell me so I can make delicious puns out of it and put them to great use.”

“C-captor. Sollux Captor.”

The tall man’s smile could grow daisies as he bestowed Sollux with a glorious grin that grew slowly across his face. “Solbro you blessed motherfucker, welcome to our motherfuckin’ clan of miracles.”

\---

The tall man was called Gamzee as Karkat had said. When his name was mentioned, Gamzee would calmly bob his head up and down in some sort of harmony with a sunshine bearing smile. The conversation that followed after their introductions was full of expletives, pesterChum handles and Sollux explaining how he moved to Ireland because of the lady Piexes. Karkat had mentioned that one of her nieces lived in town but nobody had seen her in a while. In fact, people were getting worried. Besides the curious Feferi, Sollux discovered there were a lot of connections going on. Karkat’s second cousin, Kankri had been one of Mituna’s friends. Sollux was rather enthusiastic to tell him when school let out. He went to his classroom, pleased to find the young man tackle him with a loud greeting and tight hug. Both boys left school with high spirits. It was still unbearably windy when they left, though Sollux realized he would soon get used to it.

“My hat!” Mituna yelled, reaching out for the mustard colored beanie being taken away. Sollux grasped for it, the bastard slipping away quickly.

“One sec, I’ll get it.” Sollux reassured his brother, briskly chasing it. He hadn’t realized how close he had gotten to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the churning water below him. He held the hat tightly in his hands, looking back to Mituna with victory.

His heart stopped when the wind pounded against his thin frame, causing him to lose balance, slip, and fall. Someone was screaming over the wind that sliced past his ears. Maybe it was him or Mituna crying out his name with his pleading lisp.

Sollux felt the salt water spill into his mouth, bubbles leaving his last traces of air as the water turned vibrant colors of blue and purple.

Sollux Captor could not swim.


	3. Mermaids and Drowning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god so sorry i havent updated in a while! the holidays are gross and busy  
> POV changes in the middle
> 
> TW: this chapter gets a bit gory when regarding the habits of a carnivore mermaid, some molestation, and mentions of incest  
> ((sorry))

Mermaids were omnivores and being a well-known fact they were just as diverse as humans could be. Without the gills and tails, their habits and diet related to people. Some were strictly vegetarian, living off a diet of seaweed and other scarce yet edible plants found on the ocean floor. The most common ones were extremely carnivorous for in all honesty, who wants to eat seaweed ever? They had a very large variety of food spread out for them as the ocean spanned into a treasure trove of aquatic animals. Usually, mermaids would thrive on the small coral fish and eat them with regards to a delicacy. Sometimes they even took out a diving seagull who thought they were a tasty fish. But all of these seemed nothing compared to humans.

The consumption of humans began when the first boat was built. A rouge group of mermaids had wanted to test their skills of flattery and charm on a stray ship filled with a handful of men. The operation ended up being successful as the women gleefully plunged these men underwater in an illusion of peaceful death. They wouldn’t of eaten them unless one of the women had too much of a shark gene in her.

Merfolk are equipped with claws and sharp teeth, in a fishy canine way. The teeth are very easy to hide, seeing they can be retractable to a point. Usually, the only time a mermaids victim saw them was when they opened their gaping mouth to tear out their throats. Hunting of humans is very common amongst them. I can span into many categories that even then will be broken down into smaller classes. The most popular class of hunters are Sirens. The name is to honor the women who began the consumption of human flesh first as they purposefully lure ships into traps. Others harvest stray humans, mostly bums to be exact. It is a game to merfolk as they tease distraught humans marked as theirs. In fact the entire process of marking is extremely serious. If a human claimed as theirs fell into their domain, they had all rights to do with the human as they will. Of course, they tended to be used as food but in very rare cases some merfolk would decide to save them. Amongst those who escaped mermaid grasp, the saved marked have been able to tell or create stories of their own. Of course, those cases are uncommon and almost unheard of. Marked have been stolen from their owners, especially if their thief is hungry and desperate.

And Cronus Ampora was very hungry.

\---

Cronus grabbed the pale boy’s shoulders, letting his purple eyes trail over his thin frame. He wouldn’t make the best meal, but he would do a job in filling him up.

His fingers pressed against his throat, feeling a faint pulse. That was probably how he was still holding that gaudy yellow thing in his hands so tightly. His glasses had begun to slip off his face, encouraged by the bubbles slipping from the boy’s mouth. Oh yeah, he’ll definitely die at this rate.

Cronus’ mouth slipped into a predatory grin as he leaned forward and god, he could just taste the blood. There was a certain flair blood had underwater. The way it flared, the scent it gave off just gave him tingles. He slid his tongue up the thin teen’s neck, his eyes nearly rolling into the back of his head. The pulse was still there and his blood was still warm and did he just twitch, he’s still alive. Cronus did not remove his mouth as he let his jaw slack and teeth ready to dig into fle-

“FUCK!”

Cronus felt sharp claws dig into his back and neck, dangerously close to his gills. He gurgled, shock of the new pain coursing through him.

“I swear to fuckin’ Neptune I will rip you to small pieces if you touch ‘im like that again, Cro.”

Well, at least Cronus knew who his attacker was. It was natural for siblings to be aggressive towards each other and also not terribly uncommon of them to find them as sexual partners. Although, incest between merfolk was disliked and not safe for any of them, Cronus had taken the possibility of Eridan to his fancy. It was, to be blunt, disgusting and all encouraged siblings to use each other as rivals instead. Eridan tended to do this and use Cronus as a rival, mainly to help release pent up anger. Of course, he wasn’t usually this intense. Probably because Cro was trying to steal his own marked.

“Chief, I was only checkin’ an seein’ if he was still breathin’ an all! I was doin’ you a favor, ”Cronus whined as his brother sunk his claws deeper into him. Usually, being a larger merman, he would’ve been able to overcome Eridan. He was more filled out with muscle. But, the youngest had the advantage and moving would result in injury, even death. 

“Yeah, fuckin’ cravin’ ‘im is checkin’ for a pulse, huh? Give me just one fuckin’ reason why puttin’ your fingers to his neck isn’t good enough for you,” Eridan brought his mouth closer to Cronus’ ear, letting his teeth retract in threat. “He’s fuckin’ mine. I claimed ‘im an he’s mine. So let ‘im go or I’m gonna make sure you choke on sea water an your own blood.”

Cronus let go of the boy, claw marks left on his small shoulders. Cro paled as short trails of blood left them. He felt his body be slammed into the cliff walls, finding himself staring into ultraviolet eyes. Eridan had his mouth pulled into a baring teeth fashion, showing the elder that he wasn’t afraid of killing him right then.

“C-chief, your prey is sinkin’,” He gasped.

Immediately he was let go as Eridan darted to the dying boy, his arms rigidly clutching him and yanking the boy towards him. His eyes widened as he put a hand to his neck.

“Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” He shrieked, “Wake up, you fuckin’ pansy ass son of a fish!”

Cronus watched him before cautiously swimming to his brother, “I need to do somethin’ to ‘im.”

Eridan flared, glaring at Cro with round eyes. “You don’t fuckin’ touch ‘im.”

“Look chief, you ain’t half bad an shit but you don’t know how oxygen fuckin’ works yet so let me clue you in.” He claimed Sollux’s body again, pressing his mouth against his before Eridan could do anything. Eridan screamed, his claws immediately sinking into Cro’s arm and drawing more blood before his prey moved.

His glasses had drifted to his forehead, showing him slowly opening eyes. The boy looked dazed as Cronus pulled away from him and his vision refocused.

“You fuckin’ asshole.” Eridan hissed before the boy flailed and bubbles flew from his mouth from a cry of fear.

\---

Sollux honestly had no idea how to go about this. Surely he was hallucinating again, and that the images blurring between bubbles weren’t real. He needed to calm down, breath- Wait, he can’t breathe. He can’t breathe! Oh god, oh go-

Sollux’s eyes widened even further when the merman pulled him forward again into another kiss. He felt oxygen grace his lungs but horror grip his heart. That was his first fucking kiss. That was his first time and he was being kissed by someone- no, something- he didn’t even know. He jerked away, even more scared by the un-phased look on the merman in front of him. Sollux kicked his legs frantically, trying to swim away from them and towards the surface, only to feel arms wrap around his waist. 

He looked down, terror washing over him when he saw the look in his captors eyes. The merman holding him was beautiful and terribly venomous. His face had seemed to of been carved from marble by a Roman god for the way his cheek bones slid down to his jaw was a work of heaven itself. His thin lips were parted and Sollux could swear his eyes were pleading. 

He was entranced, ceasing to flail and letting himself drift in his arms. Tiny bubbles slipped from his nose as Sollux opened his mouth to speak. This was a terrible idea as salt water spilled from his mouth and he could only manage a brief, ‘it’s’. Shock tore the mood to bits as the merman became enraged and held Sollux tightly to his chest before he was torn to the surface. 

The water exploded over their heads, as the muffle of the ocean released them and their hearing. Sollux vomited water, trying to breathe again. He felt horrible as he clawed at the side of the cliff, trying to keep himself a float. He softly gagged on a stray droplet before a hand cupped his cheek.

Sollux’s head snapped backwards, “Thhit! I don’t need that anymore, thtop it!”

His company pulled away, lips still parted in morbid curiosity. “What the fuck did I just do?”

“Tried to ki-“

“Shut up! That’s not what I’m sayin’, you disgustin’ loaf of trash.” The merman bit at his nails, noticeably sharp. Sollux stared at them warily before the other continued. “I’m supposed to be eatin’ you right now because, Cro’s getting itchy down there. I won’t be fuckin surprised if he breaks the surface anytime now and fucks you right over an shit.”  
Sollux’s mouth flapped, trying to say something. It was then he became aware of faint shrieking of his name over the wind. 

“Mituna,” Sollux gripped the rock, starting to yell. “Mituna!”

The calls grew louder as his brother began yelling incoherent babble of ‘I found him’ and ‘he’s alive’. Sollux felt tears spill from his cheeks, feeling pitiful for crying in the presence of a creature of myth. He wouldn’t notice, it was salt water all the same. But wouldn't he sympathize? After all, he seemed part human. Wouldn't a little feeling besides predatory reactions be embedded in him? His thoughts were disrupted by the other. 

“What the hell is than an why is it comin’ towards us.”

Sollux looked up at the safety basket, praying that the person inside it wouldn’t notice him just yet. He was speechless once again, finally aware of what a tragedy he just created. Mituna wouldn’t be leaving him alone for months, he would get weird looks at school, his face might even be on a newspaper, all these people would be so mad at him for wasting their time and-

“Fu-“ 

His head swiveled back to the merman whom was currently being brought under by Cro. Fear pitted in his stomach as he recalled the others past words. 'Fucks you right over an shit' suddenly seemed even scarier than he could imagine. He pushed off the sea wall, praying he could reach the now landing basket. Sollux screamed, reaching out for the person inside. His hand fell short as he felt something tug on his leg.

The fireman had now noticed him, grabbing the drowning boys arm and tugging him up. There was a struggle to get him inside. The grip on his ankle was sure, trying to keep him in the water as Sollux became a game of tug-o-war. He whined before the grip was released and he fell into the basket. 

His savior looked over him, testing his breathing and draining his nose. He put a blanket over Sollux in a desperate attempt to dry him as the basket left the water. Noises grew louder as sirens blared in his ears and Mituna yelled his name over and over. He stared ahead at the cloudy sky, trying to make sense of everything that was happening. Someone had grabbed his ankles and whether or not it was 'Cro' was what he wanted to know. Who saved him? If that was even intentional was another pressing question.

He heard the man speak, asking him to let go of the beanie. Sollux looked down at the mustard hat in his hands and shook his head.

“I went through fucking hell for thith, offither.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bkcjsnfwnkfj  
> please tell me if any major errors were made and i apologize for the short chapter oops


	4. Hospitals and Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's a longer chapter to make up for my absence and the last one  
> cronus sucks and you guys deserve an apology ily

Sollux was hospitalized for three days. After being in icy cold water for so long, the doctors claimed he’d picked up a moderate case of hypothermia. Sollux’s body temprature had dropped, causing him to lay asleep under piles of warm blankets for the rest of the day he was rescued. He had no recollection of his time being hospitalized for the first day and the second seemed to be a blur. His hypothermia passed the second day, leaving him with a cold and questions.

\--- 

Sollux ripped open the crayon covered envelope unceremoniously before staring at the card in his hands. It had shiny multicolored words spelling out ‘Get Well’ on the cover, cheesy balloons drifting around the lettering. 

The sight that awaited him inside was phenomenal. Rainbow flowers were doodled around the entire card along with some peculiar smiley faces. Two pairs of handwriting in a dying ink pen intertwined, leaving him a short message of what he thought was encouragement.

‘to soulbro our favorite motherfucking THAT’S STUPID DON’T WRITE THAT friend :o) 

TO SOLLUX WE HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER SOON :o) YOU RETARD dont patronize soulbro. I CANT BELIEVE YOU WERE STUPID ENOUGH TO FALL OFF THE CLIFFS OF HELL no bro heaven WHATEVER. 

GET OVER YOUR HYPOTHERMIA SOON, 

KARKAT AND miraclGAMZEE :o) ’ 

Sollux blinked at the writing, being able to guess pretty well whose writing was which. Karkat’s handwriting was large and half his letters were capitalized, not to mention incredibly messy. Sollux wondered just how angry this boy could always be if even his writing was affected by it. Although calmer in contrast, Gamzee’s writing was even worse as he seemed to get mixed up on just how to write which letter and didn’t know where the proper moment was to put down a smiley. Although creating thousand crayon drawings didn’t seem to be a problem.

Sollux closed the card, getting a headache from looking at all the vibrant colors clashing together, and tossed it onto the bedside table next to a vase. His dad and brother had brought in a bouquet of sunflowers, some smaller flowers scattered underneath their mammoth brothers. The light from the hospital room window made them glow softly. 

He reached for the card inside the cluster, finding a mint attached to it with a sharpie heart. Sollux smiled, tearing the candy off and pulling out the paper inside. This time the cover was easy on his eyes. A watercolor drawing of more flowers greeted him. Okay, too many daisies, he’s good now. The inside was ‘Get Well Soon’ in cursive on the splatter of brown paint. His father’s handwriting was steadier than Tuna’s. Many of his brother’s letters were also horrendously messy, maybe worse than Gamzee’s. 

‘Dear Sollux, We hope you feel better soon. Your fall has proved a shock to the family and we eagerly await your return. yeah solux i miss you tulas worried too she sais tha t falling is bad and you can get hurt i hope you didn’t get hurt two i love you!! see you soon solux 

Love, Dad and mituna’ 

He frowned slightly at how short the message was. Then again, they were probably getting ready to take Tuna to school, thus explaining the small purple blotch of jelly. Sollux closed the second card and let it join Gamzee’s and Karkat’s. He paused, spying fuchsia wrapping paper tucked behind the vase. Sollux strained to grab it, nearly dropping the box onto the ground. 

He rolled back onto the bed, holding the present quizzically. Upon turning it around multiple times, he could conclude that it truly was covered in the Pisces symbol, something he found curious. Even more curious was the flap on the top of the box, hot pink letters peeking out from underneath the top.

‘Regards from Connie Peixes and Crocker Corp. We are sorry for your accident.’ Sollux blinked. Why did his dad’s boss send him something? He supposed that the entire family was currently being looked after the company so they would pretend to care at least. He shrugged and tore open the package. 

He stared at the box of assorted candies, trying to recall when Betty Crocker started a line of honey filled chocolates. The Crocker Corp was actually a large chain of products, spanning from the baking of pastries to the funding of business companies. It was ingrained in society across the world, becoming an important player in the flow of production. So it really shouldn’t have surprised him that another brand was set off for more money to be raked in. Sollux suddenly felt very uncertain of the box in his hands, knowing that this powerful corporation noticed him. Senpai would be proud. 

He pulled off the top, sitting up in bed. Immediately his heart skipped a beat upon seeing small bee shaped chocolates. He looked back at the cover and nearly threw up in shock. The word ‘modified’ was a rather large hint and an even larger hint with the fine print of ‘Designed for Sollux Captor’. The off-brand symbol with a fork instead of a spoon signaled that the company itself had taken its time to create possibly just this one box of chocolates. For him. 

Sollux felt honored as he slowly chewed on the milk chocolate, honey oozing from the center and dribbling onto his lower lip. He wondered how they knew he had such a firm love for honey but, something told him his father filled them in on facts. He was too over spoiled for just a geeky hacker child. Sollux hummed at the flavor in his mouth when there was a brief knock on the door. 

“Um, come in?” He couldn’t really find the proper words on such a short notice. It seemed enough for his doctor as she walked in. She was incredibly tall and filled out. Her hair had been cropped to compliment her sharply angled face and stature. 

“Lovely, good to know yer awake again,” She smiled at him, wrinkles crinkling up around her green eyes. “We’ll be getting ready to release you from the hospital now. Yer hypothermia is gone now and it seems yer cold is passed as well.” Her voice carried a slight accent, probably picked up from working with many others of Irish decent. In fact, it was very sure and firm, like she knew the words she said next would be correct. The doctor walked over to his bed, starting to collect the discarded wrapping paper. 

Sollux watched her, wanting to say something but was more appreciative of the gesture to do anything. “I had hypothermia? Ithn’t that when your heart freezeth or thomething?” He winced at his lisp, hoping the nurse didn’t notice or didn’t think it was important to be thought of.

Her laughter was deep, “No, it’s a condition you get when yer body temperature goes below thirty or so. It can be dangerous and seeing you had been in that water for about fifteen minutes, your temperature dropped very low.” She straightened, putting the wrapping paper into a nearby bin. 

Sollux felt a settling respect for her, something that was so random it felt important. He leaned back in bed, “Tho, it’th not thuper bad?”

“Mild cases don’t usually require hospitalization but you were in freezing water! You had a moderate case, so be grateful yer not still asleep and shiverin’.”

“Oh,” Sollux slid back into bed, pulling covers over his chest in attempt to partially hide. He felt awkward to have been in such a situation that would have in him in a hospital again. He made sure not to knock over the box of chocolates as he sunk even further.

“So, yer family will be picking you up soon. I hope you enjoyed yer stay and if you have any complaints, there are forms on the front desk.” She sensed his discomfort, it seemed as she began packing up to leave. He watched her go to the door, pause, and look over her shoulder at him. He felt his heart sink from the look she gave him. The doctor had a dark air around her, what he couldn’t decipher from challenge or questioning. 

“I you ever saw anything strange in the water, don’t worry about it. Hypothermia gives yer head for a doozy and you start thinking weird things.” Her voice wavered, something so odd for a woman so proud as herself, like she was trying to convince someone. Like she was trying to convince herself that illusions were tied into a drop in body temperature.

\--- 

“Hey, asshole.” 

Sollux turned around, shoulders slumped from a long day at school. He had been allowed to go to Sburb the day they released him from the hospital to his distaste. The homework load wasn’t so bad, it just was the questions he got from his teachers. Why he hadn’t been at school? Sollux would have to tell the story of him falling off a cliff, showing the hospital bill as proof. Well, that was quite valiant of him. But, he’ll certainly have to make up his work by tonight. 

And so, his backpack loaded up. Yes, Yoda certainly was sitting on his shoulders today. The phenomenal wisdom he contained just a zipper pull away, or in Yoda’s case, a cloth tug. Ew, gross. Don’t need that mental image, thank you. To put it simply, he had a lot of work to do. So Sollux wasn’t in the mood for anyone bothering him and restraining the teen from sweet knowledge.

“KK?” 

“God, is that my new nickname now? You can’t handle a fucking Karkat, two beautiful syllables forming my otherworldly name, a godly creation?” Karkat’s bark seemed to be softer than last time they had met, possibly going easy on him seeing Sollux was in the hospital yesterday. “Look, you have a lot of homework to do and I get moderate grades. I’m not a fucking straight A pansy but, I do pass my classes with or without the flying homo colors.”

“Are you letting me copy your homework?” 

“Hell yeah, I got your back in this inhuman world.” 

Sollux bended his knees, folding his hands as he copied the Virgin Mary, “God bless you, small angry child. The world needs more people like you.”

Karkat wrinkled his nose, “Get up, you look like a Christian mother.”

“That’s what I was aiming for. I was Holy Mary.” Sollux straightened, thinking that was enough goofiness for a while. “So do you have your work?”

“All graded and set to go. I had a feeling you would prove weak to my ways and give in immediately. Looks like I was right and you were just another predictable fool gifted with two legs and arms.”

“Cursed with an ungodly lisp and no brain, it seems.” He admitted, shrugging. “So where do you want to go for the copying ritual? My house is out of town, so it would be a ridiculous walk from here to there.”

“I know about your house. It’s close to the edge of a cliff, right?” He snickered, “You gonna fall off your house this time for your grand trick?”

“Fuck no but, yes. It’s a pretty good yards away from it.”

“Gamzee’s asshole of a dad owns it. He’s in weird ass cahoots with Crocker Corp,” Karkat said, ignoring the look on Sollux’s face. “I think he sponsored your house to the corporation, probably trying to get more recognition from the company.” 

Sollux’s eyebrows had raised high on his forehead in sheer amazement that the stoner child was a decent of another rich person. That was probably how he managed the drugs, he now realized. But, the thought of sweet Gamzee with a birth right to money still surprised him. “Wow,” He blurted.

“Yeah, anyways. Fuck Mr. Makara, I don’t like him.” 

“More than you hate anyone else?”

“Oh no, I have a longer list of douchebags over his head. He’s just in the red zone of dickwads I hate.” Karkat pushed bushy brown hair out of his eyes, “Well are you just going to keep standing there like a bone fish or are we gonna get going?”

“We didn’t even specify where we’re going exactly!”

“Oh, shit yeah, sorry. We can just go to my house; it’s in town and not near any dangerous cliffs akin to Mount Doom.” He grumbled, probably embarrassed of losing track of his priorities. Don’t say it Ron Weasly, we all know what you’re thinking. 

He started to walk out of school, starting to leave Sollux behind. Of course, Sollux wouldn’t have followed Karkat unless he knew that Mituna was okay. His father would be picking him up soon and Sollux had a feeling that Porrim girl would look after him till then. So, he followed Karkat in confidence that his brother would be fine.

The stones felt firm against his feet, a comfort to Sollux to be on sturdy ground. The winds weren’t as fierce today, this encouraging tourists to come out and explore the tiny town more. People bustled past them on sidewalks, their voices mingling into white noise to the sound of music. Sollux slowed as he walked past the large circle or people, staring inside it. The small girl twirled in a delicate manner as she tossed her legs in the air. She moved fluidly, her body never missing a beat for the tambourine she held in hands. She didn’t seem bothered by her bangs constantly falling in her face, only letting her hair be as free as the wind. And so, Sollux stopped walking, staying entranced by the wild girl in the circle. 

“She goes to our school, you know.” Sollux looked at Karkat, whom had taken a place beside him. His eyes darted, following her every step in awe as well. It seemed this girl had everyone under a spell to the simple beat of a tambourine. 

“Her name’s Nepeta, she’s a sophomore so that’s probably why haven’t seen her.” Karkat pointed to a brute of a boy in the crowd, “That’s Equius, he’s a junior. I think you’ve seen him in one of your classes, right?”

Sollux nodded. Equius was quite the sight in class but was apparently very sweet despite his burly appearance. He was rather pronounced in his words and cursed in the most innocent way. Even now, he seemed to be huge a sweetheart as he watched Nepeta closely, flinching anytime she might seem to stumble. Yes, this boy was her guardian angel.

“They’re huge fucking friends; it’s crazy how close they are. They’ve only known each other for two years but if there was an award for biggest bff’s, they would be on the record.” Karkat tilted his head as Nepeta shook the tambourine violently, signaling the end of her dance. “Come on, let’s go. I don’t want her to see me.” 

Sollux blinked at his friend whom had started shuffling away with the breaking crowd, “What’th wrong?”

“It’s nothing, alright? Look can we just talk about something else other than chat like two white bitches about our feelings and shit?” Karkat snapped before deflating. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” 

They walked in silence again, leaving the ringing beat of Nepeta’s next routine. The people had cleared out more, possibly drawn to the petite girl and her charm. Just like the people, shops began to dwindle and small houses began to show. They weren’t in surplus like the stores, not jammed together in a side-to-side fashion. It was quaint, small gardens outside some cottages. Sollux could’ve sworn he heard a goat. 

“How’d you fall off the cliff in the first place?” Karkat’s words made Sollux jump, his shoulders jerking up from being pulled out of another spell from the beauty around him. He slowed, trying to recall the incident. 

“Tuna’th hat got taken away by the wind and I tried to get it. I think I fell off the edge but, it felt like thomeone puthhed me.” Sollux wet his lips, getting his lisp under control once more. “Hey uh, does hypothermia cause hallucinations?”

“How the fuck should I know? Do I look like a doctor?” Karkat asked, looking at him over. “Why?” 

“Nothing.”

“Fucking come on, tell me! I won’t share it on twitter!” There was a sudden urgency in Karkat’s voice, surprising Sollux. He had run in front of him, putting skinny arms on Sollux’s shoulders after mild struggle from height. “Did you see anything, oh I don’t know, abnormal?”

“You’re gonna call me crazy.”

“You already are crazy, you’re fucking wild! Just tell me what you saw.”

Sollux felt his words get taken away with the breeze, unable to voice his thoughts. They stood there in silence, neither moving nor making any motion. Eventually Karkat ‘tsked’ and let him go, upset with no findings. He turned around and began to walk again.

“Shit, okay. I thought I saw mermaids. Like humans with tails and gills and look scary as fuck? Well, yeah there were two of them. They both looked like spawns of hell themselves with the faces of angels and I was scared as fuck and I think they were trying to eat me.”

Karkat spun around, a maniac smile on his face. “Holy shit, yes. I fucking knew it. I fucking knew it!” He screamed, jumping in a circle and laughing. He flipped off the sky, laughing even harder. “YES!” 

Sollux watched him, his mouth twitching to smile, “No way.”

“I’ve seen them! I’ve seen only a few but, I think they have a whole fucking clan of merfolk on the coast and nobody believes me! Except now and of course, of all people it’s the dickwad of the future that has to know I'm correct! This thinkpan of mine is not fooled,” He exclaimed wildly, his arms thrashing the air. “I’ve gotta- I’ve gotta show you something.”

Karkat grabbed his friend, tugging him down the road. He constantly told him to hurry up and that he would ‘loose his shit over this’. The houses lost in number even more as they got shabbier and closer to the ocean. Eventually the pave road gave way to black and white pebbles, clattering together under his shoes. 

"They show up all the time over here."

The sea looked calmer in the bay, its waves lapping against the stone beach on harmony. The clouds looked heavenly against the glassy water and put Sollux into a sense of serenity. The beach stretched half a mile around, Sollux guessed, maybe even smaller. The bay was tiny but, most likely full of life. If Karkat was claiming he saw mermen there, he would be right. Sollux smiled, clapping a hand onto Karkat’s shoulder, to which the short boy patted his back.

If Sollux was crazy, at least he wasn’t alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have never had hypothermia and didn't do as much research as i probably should've  
> from what i read, hypothermia results in memory loss or babble not, delusions  
> if i'm incorrect please tell me  
> i won't be able to change it in the sorry but at least we'll have some security on what it really is


	5. Wonder and Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am SO SORRY  
> i had completely forgotten this existed! i've been giving a heap of things to do with school, juggling commissions, starting an art club, etc etc  
> thank you for your patience and encouragement! i hope i can start this back up  
> ps i had accidentally deleted the revised edition so yeah

Sollux went to the bay every day after that. The wind would claw at his hair once more, ripping papers from his grasp and dropping them in the salty water. He would run in, the spray freezing him to his toes to his cheeks, and try to save the dead papers. They would always be ruined, he would always go home, and he would always grieve fruitless attempts. He had begun to consider different ways of finding the mermaid once again. Sollux just had to yet figure out how to convince his father for a submarine.

A week passed of failure, Karkat and he begun to get antsy for any sign of him. They named the merman ‘ _Asshole_ ’ such was the showing of their frustration as time went on. Sollux often found himself thinking about Asshole, staring out windows into the courtyard or gazing out the scenery of the open sea. He would get lost in the bay as his homework flew off in the aggressive breeze, his mind wandering about the sheer amazement that mermaids did exist. Now he just wanted to meet them, keep their secret, and become a part of something greater. He never knew what a grave he was to lie in.

\---

The air forced itself down Sollux’s throat, chilling him inside to the out and causing his voice to rasp. It was actually a reasonable day, the amazing temperature of 67 degrees. He prayed for success, though knowing a part of him was nagging that it would never happen. Hope he knew he should crush bloomed in his chest, already ingrained in his heart as he strode forth. Sollux had been wise enough to try and finish his homework in class today, occasionally cheating off Karkat and Gamzee. To surprise many, Gamzee was quite smart for a mindless stoner. He made B’s sometimes an A and was always sweetly pointing out and mistakes the two boys made.

“Hey, Karbro. The five is feelin’ a little negative, don’t ignore his feelin’s.”

“Solbro, I’m thinkin’ it was Harriet Tubman not Harriet Stowe.”

He sometimes dozed off, often forgetting facts as soon as he said them. Gamzee was their prophet, the bard of answers and passing grades.

Sollux smiled at his feet, retracing his steps in the stones before. He would just make his way to the spot he had before, like always, set down his things, lean back, and stare at the ocean. He could always bid Karkat a welcome. His home had nestled far from shore, giving a view of the ocean but not the beach. His father worked as a priest in town. In fact, Mr. Vantas’ adoptive mother had been Sollux’s doctor. Miss. Maryam had been one to convince Sollux of his illusions, leaving a mildly dirtied air between them. It was quite awkward whenever they came across each other; Rosa smiling warmly and asking him of his health and Sollux clearing his throat awkwardly and looking down. Though despite Miss. Maryam, a visit to his friend’s home would be worth it.

The Gemini rapped on the wooden door, an entire house creaking in response. That was odd. Usually there would be a great commotion inside, Karkat’s father asking for him to open the door and Karkat’s defiant streak crying out in distaste. He knocked again, starting to get nervous for the family inside. The lack of voices finally drove him over in impatience as he crouched down. The old rusty key that hid underneath the doormat was nowhere to be found. Alright, now this was worrying him. Maybe they were just out of town on vacation?

Sollux drew himself up, feeling around the top of the doorframe. Ah ha! He grasped the equally nasty key in his hands, unlocking the door and turning the handle.

“Hello? I’m coming in,” He said, too nervous to raise his voice into the empty shack. Dust drifted from the ceiling as he closed the door.

Sollux looked around at the dark home, light coming from the kitchen in the other room. Here Karkat and his dad would sleep, exchanging spots on the couch crowned by a cross. He felt stabs of sympathy for the two, knowing the breeze whistling through the panels could cause a chill in their home. He shivered, hugging himself as he continued into the other room. Blue light filled the table and countertops, making the shadows appear black in its absence. The smell of fish filled his nose, forever to remain in the air of the home. It was quite welcoming, as Sollux had gotten used to it. Sometimes Mr. Vantas would light a candle, the smell of fresh water wafting through the house. He wondered how it managed to do that, but Sollux never would question a candle maker.

After a close observation of the first level, Sollux’s eyes fell on the stairs. He never roamed up to the attic with Karkat. There wasn’t a huge mystery behind the upstairs; he just assumed it was a convenient form of storage and something he never needed to explore. Now he was curious, the starved cat inside of him yowling in approval. _Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back._ The stairs creaked loudly beneath his footsteps causing his stomach to twist and tighten. He hoped not a soul was around as he pushed up the trap door.

And his breath was taken away.

\---

Eridan winced at the look she gave him. He could feel her anger, her worry, and distaste as she laid seaweed and patches on his scratches. Cronus had taken him under for a duel after he saved the boy, completely beating his fins to the sand. He thought he was to die that day. Now it didn't seem so bad to have been killed by his kin.

"I'm sorry." The words sounded heavy on his tongue, as if molasses stuck the roof of his mouth to the tips of his teeth, holding his jaw shut. It was forced. He felt as if he were to choke if he spoke anymore.

"It’s fine." He couldn't see her face, thick black hair drifting around her and lazily following the current. She refused to look at him, maybe too ashamed of his actions. Her brow furrowed under the gold crowning her hairline.

"Fef, please. He was my prey, Cro shouldn't a touched 'im."

There was no response from the princess, only her gazing up at him with tired eyes. They looked like a flower, a fuchsia to be exact. The pinks fanned in crowns from her pupils and blended into soft violet. Violent streaks of hot pink layered over the blends. They were so ridiculously vibrant and soft and... They scared him.

"I claimed 'im before everyone. You were there, you heard me say the bicolored boy was mine, right?"

Her hair drifted across her face, strands brushing her nose and cheeks. God, it pained Eridan to have that gaze on him. He shrunk back, his own hair sweeping out in front of him. "You nearly killed him," Feferi spoke softly, trying to not upset him. She tended to do that quite often. If she wasn't scaring him, Eridan would be clawing out at her. He was a bomb that was constantly ticking. He never fully exploded, only lashing out shards from the imminent explosion. The shards would cut her skin as the words spilled from his mouth. Deadly insults spitting from his mouth like venom on days he loved her so much, he hated her. And then days where he would cry for forgiveness because he was just too terrible a friend.

“He deserved it.”

The fight had been brutal. Cronus, no matter the fact he had already been injured badly, took a clawed hand to his gills, intending to kill his brother. The anger had burned in both of their eyes as Eridan gurgled on his element and lashed out at Cronus’ face. Then he shoved his nails into his brother's chest. The smaller merman had twisted his hand, snarling at the way his claws turned painfully. Cronus had cried out, easily being pushed onto his back. That was when Eridan was ripped off his brother, feeling his caretaker’s reprimands vibrating through the water and shaking his frame. His father’s tail had wrapped around his stomach, dragging him away thrashing and screaming. And now he sat here a day later with an heiress fixing his mangled gills. He still felt the ache of Cronus’ claws, ripping out pieces of his fins and spitting at him to beg. He was so close for mercy. Now he swore he should’ve let him kill him, no matter how painful Eridan’s death would be. Drowning scared him, but he never wanted to see the disappointment in Feferi’s eyes.

“Erifin, no one deserves that! Not even a sharp slap or a whip to the back, harming another is never right.” She puffed out her cheeks, “You don’t deserve this either. I don’t think your fins are gonna grow back out right...”

Eridan opened his mouth before closing it. No matter how much she disagreed with him, Eridan felt that he would always deserve it. Maybe a little more mauling to pay for his past actions.

He’d killed people, humans to be exact. It was expected of a heir to the clan to kill one. There had to be proof he was brave enough to take a life. They took him to the shore, they sung their songs to the raft, they shook the sides of the boat so violently even the sea felt envy of their strength. It was when the first hit the water, screaming and flailing, did he feel this to be wrong.

She had long hair, skin the color of almonds, and the eyes piercing his skin now.

She was the daughter of The Condense.

She was to be her inheritor in the sea.

She had the blood of a queen running through her veins, glowing in her eyes, and engraved in her skin.

And Eridan had been the one to have brought her to this fate. When he found her in the water, he felt a part of him ripped out. It was his soul. He’d grabbed her, holding her close as half his essence was pulled from him and given to her. It now came to Eridan that she had been lacking in soul when she was found. Feferi hadn’t told him of her times as a human, he didn’t know of her depression. He didn’t know of the stress of the human world. It had overwhelmed him knowing the lack of knowledge he yearned for was just out of reach.

And then he met him.

Eridan bolted up two feet, startling his friend. He had completely forgotten their plans for today, the drama with Cronus wiping his head to a clean slate and spilling the black ink of revenge on. Then the pure dot of peace entered the ink. This was a special human, one he claimed weeks ago. No one had dared touch this prey for they knew he could protect himself. The human told him things, never hesitant in his words and always, he assumed, honest.

“Fuck, Fef I need t’ go now,” He stared at the sky, telling time by the sun. If he hurried, he would make it in time. The merman suddenly turned fin, ignoring Feferi’s protests and darted off.

The heiress sat back down.

\---

Eridan felt as though he’d choke, the water rushing through his gills. The ocean became more like molasses as he swam. He did not slow, ignoring the fact that he felt something trickle into him. Blood? Salt? Seaweed? He didn’t know, just blindly darted forth in hopes of seeing _him_.

And then suddenly, he was there. The water began to shallow to the point if he dived a little deeper, he could graze the sand on the bottom with fingers made of marble. But that was not his priority, he needed to find the man or he would find him. It was hard to not be spotted first, his violets and purples causing a disturbance in the harmony of water, but Eridan was determined. The merman took a peek from the water, eyes scanning the bay before widening in glee. He was there! A predator’s grin spread across his face as he swept through the water towards him before being halted.

“I know you’re there. Such behavior is dangerous.” The man was looking directly at him, obviously trying to hide his humor, “You know better than to sneak up on me.”

Eridan paused, lifting his head and blinking his eyes slowly. He flared slightly, his gills painfully stretching as the merman made quite a ruckus in color. He pushed himself up on his arms, exposing a marked chest from fights and his clan. He always made sure to do this, to show him he wasn’t afraid. There was a fine line between mermaid and human, Eridan being totally aware he must turn his back on his lover if times got too dangerous.

Finally, the ritual being completed, he swam to his guest. Eridan reached up, tugging his shirt with a finned hand to haul himself to his face. His partner did not help, he never did. Maybe it was respect for the interspecies line, a showing he too wasn’t afraid of leaving him. Maybe the man was too afraid to hold him, as if Eridan were too delicate and he were to break in two if held too tightly. Maybe he just didn’t know how to help. But it never worried Eridan too much.

He would always kiss back.

Eridan wrapped his arms around the human’s neck, keeping himself above water as he covered his face in sea salt kisses. His partner spluttered a few times and sighed the others before hugging him. It released some stress on Eridan to stay up. The man’s lips found his, a brief embrace before Eridan slunk down leaving his partner covered in water.

“Good t’ see you, Equ.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter took me a week to write in between school work and the length, i know, is a bit shorter than normal  
> i've found shorter chapters nicer and easier for all of us so this might be the norm for the future! sorry, maybe when school ends i'll be able to release longer chapters  
> again thank you for sticking with me! i'll try updating at least every week or so.  
> ALSO sorry if the whole magic thing is too much for you  
> it would be best for you to leave the theater now before its too late


	6. Heavy Hiatus

Hi there! I'm going to be dropping this story and I'd like to apologize. School has become a handful especially with my finals coming up. The story might be picked back up in summer but, I don't know if my chances of wanting to write will be high.

Below is the plot revealed, so don't read if you think I'll pick this back up!

**Spoilers ?**

6\. What Sollux found in the attic were migration charts, revealing Karkat's father had been tracking mermaids for many years now. The Vantas family had been very deep in the merfolk business for a while. After further investigation, Equius Zahhak was also involved, though this is no surprise seeing the end of last chapter. This was all done by Sollux with the art of snooping. While in the attic, he noticed Eridan's departure to the sea and ultimately ran as fast as he could and discovered Zahhak. Equius revealed his relationship to Sollux, admitting he had no feelings for the merman, but fearful that he would harm Eridan's feelings. A deal is made to let Sollux meet Eridan the next day.

7\. In the next chapter, the Vantas family returns, apparently having gone 'missing' because they were picking up Kankri from the airport. They ended up having to rent a hotel because the drive home was far too exhausting, especially with Kankri's endless lectures. Karkat tells this story to Sollux and I return, Sollux reveals all that happened in our past chapter. Karkat, though a bit pissed Sollux searched his house, is rather taken with this news and begs his friend to take him to see Eridan. Sollux agrees and they go to the bay. Equius greets them and in the distance Sollux sees flashes of purple.

8\. Eridan's POV takes over the next chapter as he replays his conversation with Equius. He made many remarks on his injuries and scolded him for fighting. As well the fact Equius arranged a meet up so soon was new, but he claimed he wanted to make sure his wounds were well taken care of. These thoughts are wiped away with drama in the clan. Feferi had been accused of revealing herself to a human, now bearing a whiplash. Yes, even Heiresses can be punished, especially by their mothers. The Condense was now revealed, bearing a heavy warning to merfolk who tried speaking to humans. Eridan, though intimidated greatly, still goes to meet Equius after second guessing himself multiple times. Upon seeing Sollux and Karkat, he panics and hisses Connie's warning to Equius. He ultimately breaks off their relationship by accusing him of not being trustworthy. Sollux and Karkat are silent, not expecting Eridan to be such an angry spitting mess before Sollux asks if he could still talk. There's a stiff silence. Eridan amazingly accepts daily visits.

9\. Sollux's POV then takes over here as he explores the new world of mermaids. Eridan tells him and Karkat every detail of merfolk culture, gushing proudly at the fact he was to be the next clan leader. It is three days of these activities, shown in a quick summary much like this one. Mermaid anatomy, clans, and activities are revealed. The third night, Karkat is confronted by a suspicious Kankri and to avoid investigation, Karkat agrees to going to bible study. Sadly, Karkat's incidents in church are not recorded for we're too busy focusing on Sollux and Eridan. Sollux, taking Karkat's absence as an opportunity, asks Eridan about the last time they met. With some hesitation, Eridan reveals that he had found Sol very attractive and didn't want others touching/messing with him. And so finally begins their romance.

10\. This chapter is a break from the plot. Eridan and Sollux have been talking for a week now, a platonic rivalry forming between them. The weather has begun to warm, though not doing much in warming the water, still beckons Sollux to learn how to swim. Eridan teaches him, though with mild struggle due to the fact he had a tail and Sollux had legs. He learns how to keep afloat without a doggy paddle and spends the rest of the day sharing caramel chocolates and sunbathing with Eridan.

11\. Eridan's POV reveals his growing emotions over Sollux, realizing he'd felt much happier than he did with Equius. There seemed to be more essence to their relationship. He plans to go meet Sol and confront him about a more than platonic ideals. He is stopped by Cronus, who promptly declares himself as the new successor. There's an argument between the two before Cronus tells him he knows about Eridan's visits to Sollux, Karkat and formerly Equius. He requires Eridan to give up his heirship if he wants his secret safe. Eridan refuses and the water turns dark.

12\. Sollux begins to worry over Eridan's absence for the next few days, going to Karkat in a panic. The two boys begin a search for Eridan, bringing Equius, Nepeta, and Gamzee into the mess. The group searches high and low with fruitless bearings. We finally bring back in old characters as Sollux tells Aradia the dramatic weeks he had. This time she believes him and declares she will visit him as soon as she can. Mituna and Simon are both worried for Sollux's health when he reveals his knowing of mermaids and only believe him when the other teens backed him up. Sollux now has a group of people he trusted, ready to find Eridan.

13\. Sollux visits the bay everyday after that. A week passes with no sign of Eridan and summer break has arrived. Aradia arrives that day with new energy and scuba gear! Hope is revived and the two head out to sea without Simon's permission on a boat owned by the Vantases. Karkat, Mr. Vantas and Kankri come along as well, surprising Sollux but as well warming his heart. The migration charts serve as a map to try finding where the clans were based. There is a short argument about letting Ara and Sol go down alone, Aradia taking this spat an opportunity to gear up and jump in. The hands on deck flail and Sollux sloppily pulls on his gear and goes in after her.

14\. Finally Eridan's POV has been given to us! He has been badly injured, three whiplashes on him for the three humans he knew. Feferi and he have been hiding together in an underwater cave, too afraid to leave. During this stiff moment, Eridan tells Feferi everything that has happened, going into every detail from his emotion to the description of Sollux. He woes his decisions and admits a heavy affection for the boy. Feferi also finally reveals her time as a human, telling Eridan of a girl she fell in love with and how dear she was too her. (This girl will later be revealed as Aradia!) Outside there is a ruckus. Both flinch and begin to panic, Eridan shedding tears as he remembered the hard lashes that broke his skin. Though eventually they dare a glance out the cave and see the two humans. They face The Condesce.

15\. This chapter would've been longer than most, mainly because it contained the climax of the story. Sollux and Aradia's gear has been removed, now the both of them shivering afloat and being kept alive with Connie's powers. Eridan throws a fit and Feferi recognizes Aradia. In her shock, she is unable to stop Eridan from attacking The Condesce. The trident kills him, leaving Eridan a ragdoll in the current. The merfolk surrounding them are thrown into an uproar, some reactions negative but most positive. As a natural reaction, Sollux screams and with much struggle does he go to Eridan's corpse. They split souls and (omg) Eridan becomes human. (yes, I know it's cliche, forgive me) Now both have become vulnerable to the ocean, Sollux trying to bring them to the surface. They make it and the chapter transfers to Aradia's POV.

She speaks telepathically to The Condesce, bargaining her life for the others. During this tense conversation, Feferi has begun to sneak behind her mother. The merfolk are tense, realizing what a tyrant Connie has been. Even Cronus stays still, his jaw agape at past events of Eridan's transformation to human.

During Aradia's conversation, we discover that Connie had transferred Simon and his family to study Sollux. She'd sensed potential in him, knowing not many humans could share souls. She was sharing one with a deceased man named Colonel Sassacre. He'd merged with her, giving Connie her legs but leaving her gills, thus was how she was able to breathe underwater. As Connie speaks, Feferi inches closer with a trident of her own unnoticed. The Condesce is stabbed through the throat with the middle spork and the water turns white.

16\. Eridan awakes on a boat being hugged tightly by Sollux, if not a little too tightly. His body is stiff as he moves, screaming in shock at the bare legs he owned now. His body has been covered by a tarp that crinkles loudly as the two boys move. Kankri and Mr. Vantas have their backs turned as they argued and searched the water for Aradia. Suddenly the surface explodes in a massive white spray followed by a fading scream. Two. Three. Seven, no now it's ten. Eighteen heads erupt from the surface, Aradia amongst them. There is a joyful yell from the boats company. Karkat, who had been carefully watching Eridan and Sollux whoops loudly, flipping off the sky in his glee. Aradia is safe, The Condesce defeated, the merfolk under the reign of Feferi, and Eridan in Sollux's arms.

17\. This chapter marks the end of our story, telling about the party held at the bay to celebrate. Feferi and Aradia sit in the water together, telling eachother about their adventures when they were parted. Mituna screeches happily with Latula and Kankri, giving and receiving kisses from the two. Gamzee and Karkat are eating the food happily while chatting with Nepeta who perched on Equius' shoulders. The Vantases and Simon conversed in private, some scolding given from Simon and regrets receive from the family. And Eridan and Sollux? They weren't even at the bay. They sat on the cliffs edge near Sollux's home in silence. Eridan kept his gills after the transformation now wearing a blue striped scarf as a gift from Sollux. His eyesight apparently wasn't the best and was now wearing thick framed glasses. This was the hipster we all know and love. Their fingers are twined after a moments hesitation and both boys watch the sky in awe.

Maybe even stole a kiss or two from the other.

 

And yeah, that's the story! Again, I apologize for stopping the story but, it  just became too much to handle. Thank you for reading, you guys are absolute angels!

**Author's Note:**

> i'll be reading through this a lot and fixing minor errors, by the way


End file.
